Florida football will debut its black uniforms on Nov. 4 against the Arkansas Razorbacks, to honor military service members for its Saluting Those Who Serve & UF Family Weekend, according to multiple reports.
Head coach Billy Napier hinted at the “Black Out The Swamp” theme last May and fulfilled that promise during his spring speaking tour this month. While the Gators face the LSU Tigers on the road the weekend of Veteran’s Day, the program has made arrangements to host the event the week prior.
“We will do it in the 2023 season,” Napier said during his speech in Pensacola. “This will become a little bit of a tradition. We’ll do it one time a year. It will be the next to last home game and it will always be around Veterans Day, that part of the year, for military appreciation.
“It’s a win-win for everybody. We get to Black Out The Swamp. We get military appreciation,” Napier said. “We get to create some awareness and education so we can be grateful for these freedoms that sometimes I think we take for granted.”
Here is the official announcement from the university.
The University Athletic Association will honor members of the armed forces, veterans and local first responders as part of Florida’s annual ‘Saluting Those WhoServe’ game against Arkansas, presented by VyStar Credit Union. For each ticket purchased, the UAA will donate an Arkansas game ticket to a local military hero, up to 2,000 tickets. Additionally, the UF campus will be transformed into Orange & Blue in celebration of UF Family Weekend. Events—from lectures to performances—will take place across campus leading up to the game at The Swamp.
Florida and Arkansas face off in the Swamp on Nov. 4 inside Benn Hill Griffin Stadium with start time still to be determined.
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